mirror mirror
by Ibuki Mioda
Summary: "I'm trash, please kiss me." Komaeda would say.


He was like an angel to her, descending from the heavens to shower her with hopeful words that made her feel like everything was alright, everything was going to be okay. He was soft, gentle like a fawn mourning its dead mother. A beacon of light in her pit of disgustingness.

It wasn't what anyone would call a whirlwind romance. They became close after Nanami dragged Tsumiki along to go out with her, Hinata and Komaeda one day. Komaeda had injured himself quite badly as they were walking home, so Tsumiki nursed him back to health before they carried him back to Hope's Peak, and they spent some time together, becoming fast friends. Their other classmates would usually tease them - especially Komaeda, asking him when he was going to tie the knot with Tsumiki, and some of the particulary daring students would ask such risque questions that Tsumiki would turn red in a matter of seconds.

After they started dating, they watched movies together, ate out and talked quietly at lunchtimes. Sometimes they'd go to the arcade with Hinata and Nanami, and play games at Nanami's request. Occasionally Komaeda would play the piano for Tsumiki in the afternoons and evenings to keep her calm while she worked, studying anatomy.

One time, they watched Snow White together.

"Mikan, Mikan, sitting on the floor," Komaeda said, after it had finished, "who is the fairest of them all?"

"W-who?"

"I'm asking you!"

"Um... Enoshima-san...?"

"Nope. You!"

"M...me...?!" Tsumiki gasped. Komaeda just laughed and pulled her into a hug.

When they fought it left everyone around them feeling morose. Komaeda would go on a tangent of self beratings that would leave Tsumiki crying her little heart out. There was never a winner to these fights, only heartache.

"I'm trash, please kiss me." Komaeda would say.

Tsumiki was like an old, broken record to Komaeda. It got stuck on the worst part of the song, it skipped and stuttered and wailed and whined, but he couldn't throw just it away. It was filled with memories.

But he couldn't deny it. Despite her imperfections, Komaeda loved Tsumiki.

One night, in summer, they were outside, watching the sunset. "Komaeda-san," Tsumiki said, "did I do something wrong...? Um, y-you're being really quiet..." She was so thoughtful. Komaeda hated that. He didn't want a shining student to waste any of their feeings on him.

"Ah, I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about, Tsumiki-san."

"U-um, p-please don't lie to me...!"

"...You saw right through me, Tsumiki-san. I guess I wouldn't put it past a Super High School Level like you. You're a ray of hope, after all!"

"W-what's wrong?"

"...I'm sick. I'm going to die."

"N-no, you c-can't die! I'll m-make you better, Komaeda-san...!"

"I appreciate it, but as I've told you, it's fatal. There's nothing you can do!" At this, Tsumiki started to cry.

"I'm s-sorry! I'm sorry I can't m-make you better!"

"It's fine, I don't blame you, Tsumiki-san. I'm just glad that my luck let me be with someone as beautiful and caring as you for so long. It's a surprise I didn't die as soon as we started going out, really! I must've been on a roll of good luck. In fact, it must have been bad luck for you."

"Komaeda-san..."

"Trash like me really doesn't deserve to be with you! You deserve the world, Tsumiki-san. I... I love you."

"I l-love you too, K-Komaeda-san...!"

It was Komaeda's birthday! And he was on his deathbed. Tsumiki was there with him, of course. Why wouldn't she? She was too nice. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want Tsumiki to be traumatised by his death. So, in an act of despair-filled influence, Komaeda did the worst thing of all - breaking Tsumiki's heart in the process.

He told Tsumiki that he hated her.

Things went to the opposite of his plan. She broke down into wails. He immediately took it back - he didn't mean it! Don't cry for trash like him! But the damage was already done, and the last thing Komaeda ever saw was a whimpering Tsumiki.

She wasn't the same after that. She didn't talk to anyone, and her eighteenth birthday and graduation was spent in silence. Hinata and Nanami tried, of course, but she wouldn't respond. She hardly spoke for the rest of the year, until it reached Komaeda's birthday - the day he died. Tsumiki decided to perform her own twist on a scene from Snow White, in his honour.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall," she whispered to her mirror, one night, tears pouring down her cheeks as she held the painkillers to her lips, "who's the fairest of them all?"

And then she was gone.


End file.
